Playing Pretend Shouldn't Feel So Real
by JewWitch
Summary: What if, instead of bringing Gary as her pretend-boyfriend to her sister's engagement party, Rachel brought Nina as her pretend-girlfriend? Anything's better than showing up alone, she figures; and maybe if her family were shocked enough, they'd at least leave her alone for a while. But what if the pretending started to feel like more than a game...?
1. Chapter 1

…...

**Playing Pretend Shouldn't Feel So Real**

An Alphas fic

**Pairing:** Rachel/Nina

**Premise:** What if, instead of bringing Gary as her pretend-boyfriend to her sister's engagement party, Rachel brought Nina as her pretend-girlfriend? Anything's better than showing up alone, she figures; and maybe if her family were shocked enough, they'd at least leave her alone for a while. But what if the pretending started to feel like more than a game...? I have had this story idea floating around in my head ever since I first saw, and then binged-watched Alphas last month, and I have to get it out! Hopefully there will still be at least one or two people left out there in fanfic land who will read it, despite the INSANE fact that syfy has cancelled the show. What were they thinking? Anyhow, enjoy :)

**Part 1**

…...

"Is Hicks still here?" Rachel demanded breathlessly, her hair uncharacteristically askew as she leaned against the doorway of Nina's office, with the manic gleam in her eye that said she was stressing about something family-related.

"No, he left about ten minutes ago to pick Tyler up from school," Nina said, frowning quizzically as she took in the younger girl's flustered expression.

"Oh, _crap_," Rachel groaned, closing her eyes and pressing a hand to her forehead in obvious distress. "He was my last chance...I was gonna bring Omar from the gym, but his boyfriend just took him away on a surprise cruise, and now I am so, so screwed!"

"Rach, relax," Nina grinned, getting up from her desk and squeezing her best friend's arm reassuringly. Even when she didn't mean to, Rachel had a way of being so heartbreakingly adorable when she was anxious, people fell all over themselves for the chance to do her bidding. And she didn't even need her alpha power to do it. "Maybe I could help...if I knew what you were talking about."

"Oh. Right. Well, tonight is my sister's engagement party; and if I show up without a date, my mom is gonna auction me off to the highest bidder. I _cannot _face this thing alone, Nina. Maybe it would be better for everyone if I just didn't go."

"No, don't say that," Nina frowned, trailing her nails lightly up and down the Iranian girl's arm until her breath gradually slowed, and the rigid tension in her muscles began to relax. Getting Rachel to calm down was never an easy task, but Nina had found a few failsafe methods; especially since they'd moved in together two months before, and basically spent all their time together since. "It's your family, of course they want you there. Plus, I know you, and you'd beat yourself up for months if you blew it off. Why not ask Bill? I bet he'd take you."

"Bill's _way_ too old for me. That would be creepy," Rachel groaned, wrinkling her nose.

"So I guess Dr. Rosen's out, too," Nina frowned, thinking.

"Ugh, yes. They'd be _mortified_ if I showed up with my dad-aged therapist as my date," Rachel sighed, rolling her eyes and laughing humorlessly. "I might as well bring Gary."

"Gary? That's not actually such a terrible idea," Nina mused, a little half-smirk on her red lips. Rachel just rolled her eyes.

"You're _not _helping, Nina. I love Gary, but he's not exactly an asset in social situations, is he? I'd be lucky if we got out of there without him threatening to throw my family in jail for brushing up against his suit as they passed him at the buffet table."

"Okay, okay, sorry. Just brainstorming here," Nina shrugged, leaning back against the doorframe and crossing her arms thoughtfully. They stood in silence for a moment, Rachel's anxiety growing palpably with every passing second. "What about me?"

"What _about _you?" Rachel asked, her face a mask of innocent confusion for a moment; then her cheeks flushed bright red, and Nina knew she got it. "Oh. _Ohhhh._ Nina, that's—I mean—they'd never—you're kidding, right?"

"Rach, just take a breath before you start hyperventilating," Nina chuckled, fighting her amusement as the younger girl's face flushed with what looked like full-fledged terror. "I know I'm not your first-round draft pick for a fake-date to run by the Pirzads, but we could totally pull it off in a pinch. I mean, think about it—you just want them off your back, right? You want a break from the endless stampede of mom-approved blind dates with boring Iranian lawyers? Nothing shuts a family up like getting a nice little gay shock at a public event. No way they'll make a scene, because it would embarrass them even more than it would embarrass you. Plus, they'll be so thrilled that you're "back to boys" the next time you bring a _real_ date home, they won't even care if he's muslim! I'm kind of a sneaky genius, right?" Nina raised an elegant eyebrow, grinning playfully. Rachel just bit her lip, her big brown eyes wide with anxiety as she stared blankly, considering.

"Nina, I...it's a very generous offer, but don't you think it would be weird? For us, I mean. We're roommates now, you're like my sister. You're way _better_ than my sister; I mean, you actually get me. One night of avoiding my parents' wrath isn't worth screwing up our friendship." She gulped, hoping the slightly-twisted truth would be taken at face value, and not scrutinized too deeply. Because it _would_ be uncomfortable for Rachel to have to pretend Nina was her girlfriend...just, not for the reason the taller girl probably thought.

"It won't be weird for _me_," Nina shrugged, the playful, childish grin of a moment ago sliding into something a little more calculating, almost sultry. "I _have _dated girls before, you know. It's been a few years, but I think I can shake off the cobwebs enough to fake-date you for one night." She hoped her smile was casual enough to put the other girl at ease, and not betray how very on board she was with the idea of this little roleplay.

"You _have?_" Rachel squeaked, eyes wide as saucers. "When?"

"What are we, in 6th grade? Why are you spazzing about this? You have gay friends, Rach."

"I know, I just—I never knew you were..." Rachel trailed off, her cheeks reddening all over again.

"Bisexual?" Nina smirked and raised an eyebrow teasingly. "You can say it, it's not a dirty word."

"I know!" Rachel exclaimed, rolling her eyes. "I was just surprised, that's all. It's totally no big deal, of course I just want you to be happy," she stammered, mentally willing her heart rate to slow and her face to cool off. "I just wondered...who? You never mentioned it before."

"It was before we met...like, five years ago," Nina said quietly, her playful tone softening into something a little more vulnerable. "Another alpha. Skylar Adams. You probably read her case file."

"Oh...yeah...I did," Rachel nodded, feeling herself relax a little. Oddly, Nina's sudden display of openness and vulnerability made Rachel's nervous heart rate calm; like it wasn't all a game. That, coupled with natural curiosity, put the shorter girl even more at ease as she leaned her weight on one hip, cocking her head to the side thoughtfully. "What happened? Why'd you break up?"

"Ahh, well...Dr. Rosen was starting to put the team together then; we'd started out just as his patients, and things were a lot less...complicated. Of course he offered Skylar a spot on the team, too...you've read her file, you know how amazing she is, what an asset she'd be. But she's a badass indie rebel chick, you know? She doesn't punch time cards. She can't stand being pinned down. In the old days, I was the same way. I guess that's what made us so good together. But, once I started working with Dr. Rosen...I guess something changed for me. I started wanting more out of life." Nina looked a little sad and wistful, and Rachel's usual shyness fell away completely as she reached out and squeezed her best friend's hand.

"I understand," the shorter girl murmured, with a sympathetic half-smile. "I'm sorry Skylar wasn't ready to grow up when you were...she sounds like a great person to get to know."

"Yeah. She was," Nina sighed. Then the playful glint returned to her dark eyes, and she looked back up at Rachel with a little half-grin. "So, am I qualified enough to be your fake date tonight, Miss Pirzad? Worst case, I'll just push your parents so they think they're cool with it." Rachel laughed, shaking her head at the taller girl's gentle teasing.

"What the hell...let's do it."

"Awesome," Nina grinned, silently thanking Hicks for being at his kid's baseball game. She knew she could never take Rachel on a _real_ date...the girl would spook like a jittery racehorse for sure, and Nina couldn't stand the idea of hurting their friendship, any more than Rachel could. But there was no harm in playing pretend every once in a while...was there?

…...

Two hours later, Rachel was sipping chamomile tea and putting the final touches on her makeup, while waffling back and forth over the idea of just calling the whole thing off, and staying in with a pizza instead. The idea of her parents, and her entire extended family, seeing her with Nina...thinking Nina was her girlfriend...it just made her stomach twist with either terror or elation, or maybe both. Definitely both.

"She's your best friend. She's just doing you a favor," she hissed at her reflection in the makeup mirror, giving herself a stern look as she dusted a little blush over her cheekbones. "It doesn't mean anything. It's just a big joke." _But Skylar_...a little voice in her head whined. _She dated Skylar. She likes girls_. Rachel had never, ever, in a million years seen that one coming. If she had...what?_ Get real, Rachel._ If a woman like Nina—so poised, so commanding, so in control of every situation—if she'd ever felt for one second the same way Rachel felt, deep down, about her, then she _obviously_ would've asked her out a long time ago. Nina gets whatever she wants, with or without her powers, as far as Rachel was concerned. So, the very fact that she _hadn't _ever asked Rachel out on a date served as irrefutable proof that she wasn't interested. And why should she be? Rachel was a wreck when it came to dating; no one knew that better than Nina herself, since she was the one Rachel came home and cried to time and again.

_But that's okay_, Rachel told herself firmly as she took a fortifying sip of tea. She could live without romance...but she couldn't live without her best friend, not now that she knew what having a real friend felt like. Someone who knew her and loved her for who and what she really was, someone who would _never_ see her as a freak; someone who really got her. Nina treated her as an equal, not as a fragile child who needed to be protected from the world. But at the same time, she always seemed to know exactly when Rachel really _did_ need a little tenderness, a little understanding. Like, when the construction started down the street, and Rachel began waking up every day with a headache, Nina got her that fancy, noise-canceling wave machine; and she put it in the _bathroom_. Because she knew that putting it in Rachel's bedroom would be too much stimulation for her sensitive ears. Or, when she came home tense and depressed after one of the awful blind dates her mother forced on her, and Nina would put on old episodes of The Muppets and they'd dance around the living room, laughing and singing along with Kermit the Frog and Fozzie Bear. _Those_ were the things she couldn't live without. Physical intimacy...well, she'd been living without that her entire life, more or less. It obviously wasn't in the cards; not for the girl whose senses were so finely tuned, she had a mind-blowing, blackout-level orgasm every time someone kissed her.

"Rach? You ready?" Nina called, knocking very lightly on her bedroom door and rousing her from her daydreams.

"Uh, yeah! Coming," Rachel called, pressing the back of her hand against her cheek and trying to cool the blush she felt rising. She took one final look at herself in the mirror—she may be a spazz, but at least she was a cute spazz—and crossed the room to open her door, where her roommate was waiting.

"Hey," Nina grinned, her eyes traveling slowly up and down Rachel's body. "You look great."

"Thanks," Rachel squeaked out, all the blood in her body rushing south so fast it made her a little dizzy. "Um, so do you." Of course, Nina _always _looked gorgeous; but in that little black dress, with her long dark hair tumbling down her back and a small, elegant diamond choker glinting at her throat, she was positively breathtaking. Rachel felt a momentary possessive thrill—even if it _was_ a lie, tonight everyone who saw her was going to think this goddess was _hers_.

"Shall we?" Nina asked, raising an eyebrow teasingly as she held her hand out to Rachel invitingly. "Gotta get my girl to the party on time, now." She winked, and Rachel nodded, too flustered for a moment to speak. She slipped her hand lightly into Nina's, feeling the warmth of the simple contact in every tingling inch of her body.

"Let's go."

…...

_...Shall I continue? Plz let me know if anyone out there is into this!_


	2. Chapter 2

Hey folks!

Thanks for your great reviews, I am thrilled to know I actually have an audience for this fic. It was especially nice to hear from some of you who've followed my stuff before, and are still on board for this somewhat lesser-known ship from a show that's no longer even on the air. Hooray! So rest assured, I will see this story through, now that I know I'm not just talking to myself here. Enjoy part 2!

—JW

…...

**Playing Pretend**

**Part 2**

**By JewWitch**

…...

"Ready to make an entrance?" Nina asked with a sultry smile, betraying none of the nervousness that was bubbling up inside her since arriving at the door of the elegant Iranian restaurant, where Rachel's entire extended family was waiting.

"No," Rachel whimpered, holding onto her little beaded purse so tight her knuckles turned white. They stood in awkward silence for a moment, just staring at the door. Nina wanted to comfort her anxious friend; but now that they were actually faced with the reality of walking into the party and acting like girlfriends in front of the entire extended Pirzad family, her own insecurities were welling up inside her and knotting in a hard lump somewhere in the center of her chest. She didn't want to talk Rachel into this anymore. She _couldn't _be the one to talk Rachel into this. She'd always had the upper hand in their friendship; she was older, more sophisticated, more worldly, more grown-up. She knew that sweet, sometimes timid Rachel looked up to her; she knew she didn't need to use her pushing power to talk Rachel into doing what she wanted (as if she ever would). But what if what she wanted was for Rachel to _want _to walk into this party with her? Not to have to be talked into it?

So, they stood there in silence. Another minute went by. "How about now?" Nina asked, a small half-smile playing across her ruby-red lips as she turned to look at her roommate. Rachel laughed nervously, but Nina could see the sparkle coming back into her dark eyes.

"Okay," the Iranian girl murmured, holding out her hand. Nina took it, lacing their fingers together in quiet affirmation. "Nina? Thanks for doing this."

"Hey, anything for my woman," Nina winked, her usual confident nature reasserting itself as Rachel smiled shyly and squeezed her hand, hard. "Let's go dazzle some Iranians." Rachel laughed again, a real laugh this time, and stood up on tiptoe to kiss Nina lightly on the cheek. The taller girl was still grinning stupidly as she was pulled inside the restaurant.

They passed the buzz of waiters and diners on the first floor, and climbed the stairs to the private event room, where a maitre'd was guarding the door. Rachel gave her name, and the tuxedoed man bowed and held the door open for them without a word. The banquet room was modest, but elegant; stained glass windows lined the western wall, lit up by the cool purple twilight outside, and the remaining walls were draped with richly embroidered tapestries in every color of the rainbow. A string quartet sat playing classical music on a small stage in the far corner, and the smells wafting from the buffet table were spicy and fragrant. Rachel's sister, Shireen, and her fiance stood in the very center of the dance floor, beaming as they greeted their guests and sipped champagne. Nina smiled as she gazed around the room, taking in the happiness, the celebration and joy in the air. Then she looked back at Rachel, and her smile wavered.

"Breathe, Rach," she murmured, squeezing the younger girl's hand in her own. Rachel sighed and looked down at her shoes, unable to meet Nina's gaze as her face flushed red. She'd extended her hearing as they walked in, unable to stop herself even though she knew she'd probably be happier not knowing what people were saying. _Is that Rachel? With a__** girl?**_ Her cousin Fatima whispered across the room. _Her poor mother,_ tutted Fatima's sister Mina. On the other side of the dance floor, her cousin Ahmed chuckled maliciously as he said to his friends, _Oh man, somebody get the videocamera. Shireen's head is gonna explode when she sees that her freak sister brought a lesbian date. At least she's smokin' hot._

"Everyone's talking about us," Rachel sighed miserably, swallowing hard against the sting of tears in the back of her eyes.

"Well duh. We're the two hottest girls here," Nina winked, rubbing her thumb lightly over the back of Rachel's hand. "They're all just jealous," she whispered. Then she picked Rachel's hand up, and kissed it, holding the shorter girl's gaze deliberately. Rachel gazed back, all other concerns suddenly forgotten as her heartbeat began to thud loudly in her ears.

"You're such a flirt," Rachel giggled a little breathlessly, shaking her head as Nina smirked and wiggled her eyebrows.

"I made you relax, didn't I?" Nina grinned triumphantly. "And I made sure everybody saw that you're all mine tonight. That's why I'm here, after all."

"No, you're here because you're the only person in the world who really has my back. Thanks again for being so awesome, I don't know how I'll ever make this up to you," Rachel sighed earnestly; and Nina's smile seemed to falter slightly.

"You don't have to make it up to me, Rach," the taller girl shook her head. "That's what friends are for, right?" _Friends help each other out, Nina. That's all you are to her, all you ever will be. Don't screw it up, for God's sake. _

"Yes, I know, but still. You're really going above and beyond, here. I'm just trying to say I appreciate you, Nina." Rachel smiled again, a real, infectious Rachel smile; and Nina couldn't help but smile back, even if it was a little wistful. "C'mon, let's go say hello to my parents and get it out of the way. Then we can get some food."

"Okay," Nina nodded, slipping her hand into Rachel's again and allowing herself to be lead across the room to where Mr. and Mrs. Pirzad were stationed beside the gift table, formally greeting all their guests. Nina had never met the Pirzads before, but she'd heard enough stories from Rachel to know that they were good people; just a little controlling and overbearing. They had spent so many years trying to protect Rachel from the world, they'd ended up unconsciously teaching her that they didn't believe in her, didn't think she could handle things on her own. That was probably why they had such a hard time getting along now that Rachel had moved out of their house, and was actively living her own life. It wasn't right, but it was understandable...at least they loved her, even if they couldn't express it all that well. Nina hadn't spoken to her _own_ family in _years._

"Hi, Madar, Papa," Rachel's smile was tentative but genuine as they approached the older Pirzads, still hand-in-hand. "How are you? The party looks beautiful." She kissed each of them on the cheek, then drew back with a shy smile. "This is Nina Theroux, my...my girlfriend."

"Rachel, this is your sister's engagement party," Mrs. Pirzard tutted; she seemed annoyed, but not outright angry. Maybe Nina had misjudged them—maybe they were cooler than she realized. "You're supposed to bring a date, not a girlfriend. I could have set you up with one of the groom's friends if I'd known you couldn't find a date on your own." Nina felt Rachel's hand tremble in her own, and she squeezed it in silent affirmation.

"Mom, Nina _is_ my date. I didn't mean girlfriend, like a girl who is my friend...I meant, _girlfriend_, girlfriend." The Pirzads stared at their daughter, and then at Nina, in silent horror as the dawning comprehension crossed their faces.

"Hi," Nina finally said, breaking the awkward silence. "Congratulations on the wedding. It _is_ a beautiful party. Rachel's told me so much about you both." She offered her hand, but neither of them made a move to shake it. Instead, they both seemed to be staring at Nina's other hand, which had moved protectively to the small of Rachel's back when she felt the younger girl tremble with nerves.

"Rachel, have you lost your mind?" Her father hissed in a loud whisper, bending closer like he didn't want anyone else to hear. "Are you trying to bring shame down on the family? At your sister's engagement party, of all places!"

"Papa, no! I'm—I'm not trying to do anything to you," Rachel shook her head, eyes wide and imploring as she gazed into her father's disapproving face. "I'm just here to celebrate Shireen's happiness, just like everyone else. And Nina isn't here to embarrass you. She—she really cares about me."

"Enough," Mr. Pirzad fumed, grabbing Rachel roughly by the wrist and pulling her bodily away from Nina, as if trying to herd her into a corner, literally. "You will stop this nonsense right now! No daughter of mine..."

"Hey!" Nina yelped, grabbing Mr. Pirzad's larger hand and trying to wrench it off Rachel's arm. "Just take it easy, okay?" Even though she was usually the calm one, she felt her own heart rate begin to quicken as she looked at Rachel's face, full of fear and embarrassment and disappointment.

"No one is speaking to you, young lady," Mr. Pirzad growled at Nina, the first words he'd deigned to say to her. "You will not see my daughter again, do you understand? Rachel, you're coming home with me right now..." He pulled harder on Rachel's thin arm, and Nina heard her make a soft whimpering sound—either from pain or humiliation—in the back of her throat. Suddenly, the taller girl saw red as the rest of the party fell away, and her alpha ability rose up inside her, burning her eyes and the back of her throat.

"Take your hands off her. _Now,_" Nina said quietly but clearly, her voice vibrating slightly the way it always did when she used her ability to "push" people into obeying her commands. Mr. Pirzad's eyes went suddenly blank, and his grip went slack as he released Rachel's arm, and she staggered back a step, panting slightly.

"Nina! You didn't have to push him," Rachel whispered indignantly, rubbing the red mark around her wrist. "He's my _father._"

"Navid? What's the matter?" Mrs. Pirzad asked quizzically, staring at her husband's blank face as he stood motionless, staring into space. Then she turned to Nina; and her expression was ten times more venomous than when she'd thought the girl was merely a dirty lesbian preying on her innocent daughter. "What did you _do_ to him?"

"Mom, it's fine," Rachel sighed dismissively, laying a reassuring hand on her mother's arm. "He'll snap out of it in a minute or two."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," Nina shook her head apologetically as she looked back and forth between the two Pirzad women. "Sometimes it just happens...he was hurting you..."

"He was not hurting her, he was protecting her from _you_," Mrs. Pirzad whispered furiously. Out of the corner of her eye, Nina noticed several of the party guests openly staring at their little altercation now; and she knew Rachel must be even more keenly aware of whatever was being said about them all around the room. "Please leave the party immediately, Miss Thoreaux. You are not welcome at our family's celebration." Despite the bravado she'd displayed before, Nina felt her eyes well up with hot tears. Rachel was going to _hate_ her now.

"Fine, we're leaving," Rachel said quietly, her voice calm and composed, if not a little shaky. "Tell Shireen I said congratulations."

"Rachel, asalam. I wasn't speaking to you," Mrs. Pirzad shook her head, though her furious expression barely softened when she shifted her disapproving gaze back to her daughter. "You must stay and pay your respects to your sister, it's only proper. We'll discuss this..._problem_...later, in private."

"Nina isn't a problem, Madar," Rachel shook her head angrily, her dark eyes shining with unshed tears. "And if she goes, I go. So, goodnight." Without another word, Rachel took Nina's hand and marched her out the door, without bothering to look at her directly. They walked down the stairs and out of the restaurant in silence; but once they were back out on the street, Nina finally found her voice again.

"Rach, I'm sorry..."

"You were supposed to make this _easier _for me, Nina! That was what you said. That was what you _promised,_" Rachel choked out, her eyes blazing with a fury the taller girl had rarely seen from her before. "Why did I ever let you talk me into this? They think I'm even more of a freak now than they did before! We just made everything _worse, _not better!"

"I _said_ I'm sorry," Nina shot back defensively, her own anger rising up hot and molten in her stomach as she stared back into Rachel's furious dark eyes. "And I didn't talk you into anything, okay? We're both adults, you make your own goddam choices, Rachel. That's not on me."

"You _pushed _my _dad!"_ Rachel yelled, her voice cracking with emotion. "Were you _trying_ to make them both hate me, is that it? Your own family wants nothing to do with you, so you want the same thing for me? So we could be pathetic orphans together?" The minute the words were out of Rachel's mouth, she seemed to realize she'd gone too far; but it was too late to take them back. They stared at each other in silence for a minute, both of them with tears glittering in their dark eyes.

"That was an _accident_, Rachel. I told you. He was hurting you...it was just instinct. I didn't mean to do it, okay? I'm sorry I screwed up! What else do you want me to say?" Nina sniffed and hastily wiped the tears from her face, angry at herself now for crying in public, for making a scene, for losing control. Nina was the one who _didn't _lose control; that was something everyone just knew.

"Okay...it's okay," Rachel sighed, her anger deflating suddenly as she watched the older girl wipe away her tears. "I'm sorry, Nina...I shouldn't have yelled at you, I didn't mean it. I know you were only trying to help." They gave each other a tentative, teary smile; then a jeering male voice broke the silence between them with a low, lecherous wolf-whistle.

"Lover's quarrel, ladies?" It was Ahmed, Rachel's least favorite cousin, leaning lazily against the doorway to the restaurant and staring at them, as he apparently had been for the last several minutes. "C'mon Rach, that's no way to treat such a bangin' hot piece of ass, y'know. Don't you wanna kiss her and make up?" His dark eyebrow raised in a gleeful, greedy expression of undisguised lust.

"Drop dead, Ahmed. This is a private conversation," Rachel snarled, taking a step closer to Nina and putting her hand on her friend's back protectively.

"Hmm, nope...I think I have a better idea," the leering boy sniggered, closing the space between them and wrapping his large hand tightly around Rachel's upper arm. _What is it with the men in this family, treating their women like cattle to be herded?_ Nina thought angrily; but this time she kept her cool, breathing hard and gritting her teeth to keep herself from lashing out. "I think the three of us should go somewhere and have a nice little _private_ party of our own."

"Let go of me, jerkface," Rachel hissed, struggling to wrench her arm back. But unlike her father, Ahmed fought back, tightening his grip on her arm and shaking her, hard, as he laughed out loud at her attempts to free herself. "Ow! _Stop_ it, Ahmed!" Rachel yelped, a note of real panic entering her voice now.

"Oh, you gonna make me, little cousin?" He jeered, yanking her arm tighter. "Go ahead and fight, I like it rough. You and your girlfriend will too, when I'm done with you."

"Stop," Nina said simply, her voice once again imbued with the deep, resonant vibration it took on when she drew on her alpha power. Instantly, Ahmed froze, staring motionless into her eyes with his hand limp on Rachel's arm. Hastily, Rachel pulled herself from his grip, staggering back a few steps until she was half-hiding behind Nina's taller frame. "Rachel, are you all right?" She asked, quietly, without breaking eye contact with their would-be rapist.

"Yes. I'm okay," Rachel panted, shaking slightly as she pressed herself against Nina's side. "Thank you."

"Good," Nina nodded slightly, before directing her full attention back at the blank-eyed boy in front of her. "Now, I want you to turn around..."

_"Nina,"_ Rachel murmured gently in her ear, a warm hand suddenly tracing light circles over her lower back. With a sigh, Nina reluctantly changed gears as she delivered her final command.

"...Turn around and go back into the party, Ahmed. Never hurt Rachel again. In fact, the next time you think about physically taking a woman against her will, you'll vomit all over yourself. Got it?" The young man nodded robotically, turned, and walked back inside the restaurant without another word.

"Thanks," Rachel said quietly after a moment of silence. "That...that was actually a little scary."

"Yeah, well he got off easy compared to what I would've liked to do to him," Nina fumed, her cheeks flushed pink as she slowly calmed down, and pushed her alpha ability to the back of her mind once more.

"I have no doubt," Rachel grinned softly; and for the first time since they'd entered the party, a little bit of the playful glint returned to her dark eyes. "What were you gonna tell him to do before I stopped you?"

"I _was_ gonna have him jump in the Hudson River and swim to New Jersey," Nina admitted, slowly returning Rachel's playful grin. "But at least this way I know I'm not getting you in any more trouble with your family...I really am sorry, Rach."

"No, _I'm_ sorry," Rachel shook her head. "I should have known this was a bad idea from the start. I just...I wanted it not to be true, so I talked myself into it. It wasn't your fault, Nina." They smiled shyly at each other for a moment.

"Okay, well...I don't know about you, but I think I've had enough excitement for one night. Wanna go home and order a pizza?"

"God, yes. That is exactly what I want," Rachel nodded, slipping her arm into Nina's and resting her head against the taller girl's shoulder.

"Good," Nina smiled, rubbing her nose affectionately in Rachel's dark hair. "C'mon, let's get out of here." They climbed into a cab, both relieved to be done with the awkward evening; yet both, though they'd never admit it to each other, a little wistful that the _let's-pretend-we're-girlfriends_ portion of the evening was over so quickly.

_At least you didn't just lose your best friend, _Nina told herself as they drove in silence back to their SoHo loft. _That's the only thing that really matters. That's the best thing in your life, the only thing worth protecting...even if you have to protect her from yourself, stupid. She may have forgiven you, but this whole moronic thing was your idea, all because you wanted to dress up and play pretend with her. Stop being such a goddam idiot. No more flirting, and that's that. _


	3. Chapter 3

Hey guys!

Thanks so much to those who reviewed and let me know that you're out there reading, and digging this ship. I would not have continued otherwise! And on that note, sorry about the delay on this chap; real life got in the way for a while, you know how it goes. Hope you will enjoy this chap...there is one more coming, and then Rachel and Nina will be moving to happy-ever-after-land ;)

Cheers,

—JW

…...

**Playing Pretend**

**Part 3**

**By JewWitch**

…...

As soon as they got home, Nina made a beeline for the kitchen and opened a bottle of red wine to calm her frayed nerves. "Hey Rach, I'm opening that merlot from the office party. Want some?"

"Yeah, sure," Rachel called back, standing frozen in the living room and unsure what to do with herself. She still felt anxious and out of sorts, despite the fact that the officially stressful portion of the evening was over. Maybe a glass of wine would calm her nerves, and help her bury the _let's pretend Nina is my girlfriend_ feelings back down to the pit of her stomach where they belonged. She put on the 80's station on Pandora, the one they always listened to when they were cleaning the apartment or folding laundry, hoping to re-establish some normalcy as quickly as possible; and then kicked off her uncomfortable high heels before dropping down onto the couch with a soft sigh.

"Here you go," Nina smiled, coming back from the kitchen with two glasses and dropping down on the couch beside Rachel, tucking her feet up under herself like a nervous child. "Pizza's on the way."

"Awesome," Rachel grinned weakly, taking a large gulp of wine just to have something to do. "So...I guess I'm gonna go upstairs and change into my PJ's."

"Oh. Yeah. Good idea," Nina nodded, standing up hastily and gulping down her own wine before setting the empty glass on the coffee table. "Me too." Rachel felt a pang of regret when she saw how stiff her roommate's smile was; because she knew it was her fault that things were suddenly so awkward and strained between them. Nina was only trying to help her out with a difficult family event, and now because of Rachel's meltdown and the way she'd yelled and blamed Nina for everything, her best friend didn't even know how to be around her anymore. But she couldn't think of anything more to say to make it right, so she just returned Nina's awkward smile and followed her up the stairs.

They went to their separate bedrooms and shed their fancy party clothes; Rachel changed into her favorite flannel pajamas, so soft that even her overdeveloped senses had nothing to object to once the fabric settled against her skin. When she came back downstairs, she found Nina already sitting on the couch and sipping her second glass of wine, in a pair of faded pink Victoria's Secret boxer shorts and a soft grey tank top. It was about the least impressive outfit she could possibly have chosen from her enormous closet full of lace nightgowns and lingerie; so why did it feel so intimate? Why did it make Rachel's heart race like a sweaty teenager on prom night?

"Hey, save some for me," she joked weakly to cover her nerves, as she sat beside the taller girl on the couch and held out her empty wine glass.

"Oh, going beyond your one-glass limit tonight?" Nina teased, but she filled Rachel's glass without argument. "Good thing I won't have to carry your ass home when you pass out."

"I'm not gonna pass out," Rachel huffed, rolling her eyes as her cheeks flushed pink with embarrassment. "I just get a little loopier than most people when I drink, so it's better to play it safe when I'm out in public. But we're home now, so who cares? It won't bother you if I get a little goofy, will it?"

"Not at all," Nina shook her head, a little bit of the playful smirk returning to her pale face as she gave her best friend a tiny wink. "You deserve the chance to get looped after the night you just had, Rach. I'm glad you feel safe enough to relax with me, even though I just torpedoed your relationship with your entire family. That's why I'm drinking, too. So...cheers." She held up her glass and smiled sardonically, taking another long gulp.

"Nina, stop. It _wasn't_ your fault," Rachel sighed, setting her glass aside on the coffee table and scooting a little closer to the taller girl on the couch, giving her a long, hard stare. "I told you, if it was anyone's fault it was mine. I knew they'd freak, but I brought you anyway. If anything, _you_ should be mad at _me._" Rachel stared down glumly into her wine glass, bracing herself for whatever anger her best friend wanted to throw her way after the horrible way she'd behaved tonight.

"Well I'm _not _mad at you," Nina shook her head.

"Really?" Rachel asked dubiously, one eyebrow going up in awkward disbelief.

"Of course not, Rach." Nina reached out and put a hand on Rachel's knee; and the Iranian girl felt a surge of something warm and fluttery vibrate through her entire body. It started at the point where Nina's hand rested against her leg, and bounced around her insides like live electricity, from the tips of her toes to the roots of her hair, and settling down insistently between her legs. She was so unprepared for the overpowering sensations, she reacted out of shock—not to mention, embarrassment—and jumped at least a foot in the air, scrambling back against the arm of the couch as she heard Nina's wine glass shatter on the floor.

"Jesus! What the hell, Rachel?" Nina yelped, jumping to her feet and glancing around the room on autopilot, as if searching for some non-existent threat that had made the younger girl jump out of her skin for no obvious reason. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah...fine...sorry," Rachel sighed, closing her eyes tight and rubbing the bridge of her nose, utterly mortified at what a spazz she was. Normally she had better control over her amplified senses; but as soon as she started to get turned on it all went right out the window. It was mortifying. And it was the reason she didn't date. She couldn't be this way around Nina, she just _couldn't._ Nina was the one person who made her feel like she _wasn't _a freak.

"Just...a little sensory overload, I guess. Sorry I freaked you out. Oh, dammit, and your wine...here, I'll clean it up." Rachel jumped to her feet and headed to the kitchen for some paper towels, feeling her face flush crimson.

"No, it's okay, I can..." Nina started to follow her towards the kitchen, but just then the doorbell buzzed, stopping them both in their tracks again. "Uh, right, pizza. I'll go get the door. You get to clean up the wine."

"Right," Rachel nodded gratefully, practically sprinting the rest of the way to the kitchen, where she stood over the sink splashing cold water on her face for several long moments. "Get it together, Rachel," she whispered angrily to herself, taking a few slow, deep breaths. "You're acting like a complete psycho. This is just a crush, and crushes go away. If you don't want to lose your best friend, you need to calm the fuck down and start acting normal." With a nod of resolve, Rachel grabbed the roll of paper towels and went back to the living room, mopping up the red wine and broken glass from the hardwood floor while Nina set out the pizza and turned on the TV. They nibbled on their pizza without talking, both pretending to watch the rerun of Saturday Night Live as they sat side-by-side on the couch, close but carefully not touching. Rachel gulped down another glass of wine.

"Feeling better, drunky drunkerson?" Nina finally asked, with a tentative smile as she watched her roommate finish off her second glass of wine.

"I am _not _drunk. I'm just relaxed," Rachel smiled back, nudging the taller girl lightly between her ribs. "Which is a good thing for you. I think you've tolerated all the spazzy-high-strung-Rachel I can reasonably inflict on you for one night. Don'tcha think?"

"I _like_ spazzy-high-strung-Rachel," Nina shook her head with a shy grin, pouring out the last of the wine between their two glasses. "But I have to admit, I am also very curious to see what three-glasses-of-wine Rachel is like, too. I really just want you to feel comfortable, however that works for you. I know it's not something you've gotten a lot of in your life."

"Yeah," Rachel sighed in commiseration, leaning her head back against the couch cushions with a slightly woozy smile. It _was_ hard to get comfortable, when the world was so much brighter and louder and rougher to her than it was to everyone else. And she'd spent so long trying to cover up her discomfort and her difference from everyone around her, it was near impossible to turn the impulse off now, and remind herself that she didn't have to do that anymore. Certainly, not here, in her cozy loft, with her roommate who understood exactly how it felt to be an alpha, and feel like a freak. "Well, I'm pretty comfortable right now."

"Good," Nina smiled, curling up against the couch cushions and reaching out to play absently with a lock of Rachel's shiny dark hair. "'Cause, for a little while tonight I was scared you were never gonna be able to feel comfortable around me again. I don't wanna lose you, Rach. You're my best friend." Rachel stared in silence for a moment, eyebrows raised at the wholly unexpected admission.

"_You_ don't wanna lose _me?_" She actually laughed, a tipsy, incredulous laugh that loosened her tense muscles with an almost electric rush of energy through her body. "That's crazy, Nina. You...you _can't_ lose me. Ever. Don't you know that?_ I'm _the one who could lose _you._ That's why I should've just said no to tonight, in the first place. I should've known I couldn't handle it."

"What do you mean?" Nina frowned, raising an eyebrow.

"Seriously?" Rachel laughed out loud, a tipsy smile spreading across her face as she shook her head in disbelief.

"Rachel, _what?"_ The taller girl huffed impatiently, annoyed at being so clueless as to what was making her roommate look at her with such an incredulous expression of disbelief.

"Oh...fuck it," Rachel muttered under her breath, just drunk enough to stop thinking about all the million reasons why this was a bad idea, and reach for her best friend's face with both hands. Nina didn't resist; she just sat there in silent shock as warm hands stroked her cheekbones and slipped into her hair. It felt so good, her eyes automatically fluttered shut, increasing her awareness of her other senses; and a moment later, she felt the smaller girl's warm breath on her face.

"Rach...are you sure you wanna..."

"Shut up," Rachel whispered. Then she climbed right into Nina's lap, and pressed their lips together for a soft, undemanding, but utterly heart-pounding kiss.

For a second, Nina's mind went blank with shock; then the delicious feeling of Rachel's soft skin wrapped around her, warm lips and sweet wine on her breath, overpowered rational thought, and she wrapped her arms tight around the younger girl, kissing her back hungrily. Rachel made a small, soft sound of pleasure in the back of her throat, and Nina held her tighter, slipping her hands under the shorter girl's pajama top and trailing her nails lightly across the small of her back. Rachel sobbed breathlessly into Nina's mouth, her small hands tightening almost painfully in the taller girl's long hair, kissing her harder, sucking her tongue, rubbing up against the length of her long, lean body like a cat.

It seemed like a lifetime of bliss; but really it was only about thirty seconds before Rachel wrenched her lips away, pressing her flushed face against Nina's cool throat as an alpha-powered, super-intense orgasm ripped through her body, making her rock her hips hard against Nina's with an animal moan of pleasure that lasted almost as long as their very brief, but very heated makeout session had. Nina just tried to hold on, keeping her arms locked around Rachel's shaking body to keep her from falling off the couch, babbling sweet words of love and reassurance as the synesthetic girl trembled helplessly in her arms.

"Wow," Nina sighed softly when Rachel finally went limp against her, panting shallowly against the taller girl's collarbone. "That was...intense." She grazed her fingertips lightly up and down the younger girl's trembling back, not wanting to do anything to overstimulate her heightened senses again so soon; but at the same time, needing to do _something_ to show the other girl some tenderness and affection after the intimacy they'd just shared. It was a fine line to walk, but Nina wasn't too worried—they had the rest of their lives to figure out how their alpha abilities would work together, after all. She pressed a gentle kiss to the top of Rachel's dark head.

"I'm sorry," Rachel whispered when she got her breath back, scrambling awkwardly out of Nina's arms and falling off the couch in a heap, scooting backwards blindly until she bumped up against the back of the coffee table, and burying her head against her knees as she burst into tears.

"Rach, it's okay," Nina cooed softly, even as her stomach knotted up in agony at the sight of her best friend's tears and misery. Was it really that awful for her? It sure hadn't seemed that way about thirty seconds ago...but then why was she sobbing on the floor like this? Nina tentatively stood up and crossed to where the dark-skinned girl was curled up with her head hidden against her knees, crying uncontrollably and choking out unnecessary apologies between every breath.

"Rachel, honey, please don't cry...please, I'm so sorry, whatever I did. I'll never do it again, I swear. Did I hurt you? Please, baby, what is it?" Nina knelt down beside her best friend and tentatively put a hand on her shoulder, terrified to cause her pain in the middle of a sensory overload attack, but equally terrified to do nothing and watch the person she loved most in the world suffer needlessly.

"You d-didn't..._*snfl*_...n-not your fault," Rachel choked out, finally raising her head enough so that Nina could see the tears spilling from her dark eyes, the dull pink flush in her light bronze skin. But she was still crying too hard to speak in full sentences, so Nina just sat beside her and rubbed a thumb lightly over her trembling shoulder, cooing _it's okay, shh, it's okay_ in a quiet, soothing voice until Rachel's breathing finally began to calm down, and her tears slowed to sniffles and hiccups.

"Here," Nina murmured, grabbing a box of tissues off the coffee table and passing them to the sniffling girl.

"Thadks," Rachel whispered miserably, snatching a tissue and gently dabbing at her wet eyes and nose. "I'm..._*snfl*_...I'm so sorry, Nina. I drank too much, I never should've...kissed you like that. I understand if you...if you want me to move out now." She stared down determinedly at her feet, unable to make eye contact as her insides writhed in hot, prickly shame. This was why she didn't drink; this was why she never got past a first date, ever. She _couldn't _let go and give into her feelings like everyone else could...not without embarrassing herself horribly.

"Rachel. I don't want you to move out," Nina said slowly and deliberately, reaching out and tucking a few locks of dark hair back behind the younger girl's ear, so she could at least see her friend's face. "And I'm certainly not mad at you...frankly, I still have no idea what you're trying to apologize for." She gently slipped two fingers under Rachel's chin, encouraging (but not forcing) her head up, so they could finally look each other in the eye. Two sets of dark eyes locked together, and Nina felt a pang of regret stabbing her right in the heart when she saw the shame and confusion in her best friend's teary eyes. They stared at each other in awkward silence for a moment.

"I mean...if you need to forget it ever happened...I can try to do that," Nina finally broke the silence, biting her lip to hold back the tears that sprung hot and unbidden, burning the back of her eyes. "But...but only if that's what you really want, okay? I never thought this could really happen, but now that it did, I'm not just gonna give up and walk away like it was nothing. It _wasn't _nothing, Rachel...at least, not for me."

"Are you kidding?" Rachel whispered, her dark eyes wide with disbelief as she shook her head incredulously. _"You_...want _me?_ You could have _anyone_, Nina."

"If that was true, sweetie, I would've had you a long time ago," Nina joked weakly, a shy smile breaking across her face as she finally managed to break through Rachel's shell of misery, and make her laugh for a moment. "But I understand if it's too weird for _you_, if you want to move out. I never would've brought it up in a million years, but...well, Mr. Merlot kind of did that for us, huh?"

"You _really_ want to be with me?" Rachel asked again, fresh tears streaming down her face even though she was smiling now. "This cannot be happening, I must be asleep...I'm dreaming, that's all...ow!" She squealed and jumped a foot in the air when Nina pinched her arm, a huge grin plastered to her face.

"You're not dreaming, you're just an idiot," the taller girl sighed, shaking her head. "I know you have a lot of hangups about dating with your super-senses...but that's just why you should really give dating _alphas_ a try, anyway. Why should you be embarrassed about how easy it is for you to get off? How intense every sensation is for you? That's part of what makes you so amazing and special, Rach. I'd spend all _day_ figuring out just the right way to make you feel good...if you'd let me."

"But...but you never..." Rachel shook her head in bewilderment, trying to wrap her brain around this new information that was obviously too much to take in all at once.

"I never came on to you, because I was afraid to freak you out," Nina supplied gently, tugging lightly on the end of a dark lock of Rachel's hair. "I figured there was no way...no way you felt the same, and I _know_ how scary the whole idea of dating is for you, anyway. I just figured I'd rather have you as a friend than not have you at all."

"Then...then _you're _the idiot!" Rachel exclaimed indignantly, smacking the taller girl on the shoulder, a little harder than she meant to. "All this time, I felt so guilty for having a crush on you! I tried so hard to get rid of it, I made myself _crazy_ trying not to have those feelings, and now you're telling me it was all for _nothing?_" She was crying openly again; slowly, so as not to overwhelm her delicate senses, Nina leaned in and brushed a few tears from her face.

"I'm sorry," the taller girl murmured earnestly. They stared at each other silently for a moment; then a sly, half-smile curled the corner of Rachel's lip, and she wrapped both arms around Nina's elegant neck.

"It's okay, dummy," she sighed, leaning in and pressing a soft, alpha-powered kiss to Nina's lips. And this time, there was no reason to be embarrassed.

…...

_Coming next: epilogue! :)_


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